Kohaku Kuroyuri (WIP)
Kohaku Kuroyuri (琥珀 黒百合) is a third year student at U.A. High in class 3-A and part of The Big 4. They are also known as the Trickster Hero: Black Cat. They are currently studying to become a Pro Hero. Appearance Kohaku is of medium height with shoulder length black hair, grey eyes, a sharp face and glasses. They have a curvaceous build, with a heavy bust, a slim waist, wide hips, a shapely rear, and thick thighs. In the past Kohaku's hair had been shorter, in a typical bob style, but they have since grown it out, although they have on occasion had it cut to be just a little bit longer than a bob. They describe their style as being inspired by the fetish scene, with the majority of their clothing having a leather or latex appearance and being either tight or short. They have a particular fondness for thigh high stockings and visible garters with fun designs, as well as harnesses. The majority of their clothes are a single solid colour (with the most common being cream, millennial pink, black, lavender, pastel pink, candy floss pink, Barbie pink, mint, and wine red), but they also love leopard print. Their shoes tend to have height, usually in the form of a high heel or occasionally a platform. Their hero costume is a black catsuit made of a breathable, kevlar like material that also has holsters on the thigh (mimicking the garters Kohaku is so fond of) that contain the knives they use in battle, as well as a belt containing various gadgets, support items, and a bullwhip made of thick leather and tipped with a sharp piece of steel. They also wear opera length gloves that have metal claws on the fingers that are capable of tearing through steel, and are more gauntlet-like starting from the wrist and ending at the fingers. The gauntlet at the wrist has inserts that have blades which Kohaku can shoot out, with some being attached to fine piano wire. They also have flat, knee high, steel capped boots that have a blade concealed in the toes. The catsuit has a zipper opening in the lower back that Kohaku's tail can fit through. Personality At first, Kohaku can come across as somewhat aloof and even detached, but really they are just introverted and can find it hard to socialize. Once you get to know them they become a lot more open, being very free with their affection and kindness and generally being very pleasant. They are known for being extremely compassionate and optimistic, believing that mankind is inherently good despite much evidence to the contrary. They tend to be rather protective of those younger than them, particularly younger students, and offers encouragement whenever they can. They are also incredibly sentimental and romantic, believing that love can lead people to do extraordinary and glorious things. Others have described Kohaku as somewhat lackadaisical due to their tendency to procrastinate, however they can be very hard working and focussed, they just get distracted often and find it difficult to focus at times. Despite not being at the top of their class grade wise, they are noted as being extremely intelligent with a wide breadth of knowledge and an interest in a variety of subjects, which also shows their inherent curiosity and desire for knowledge. While Kohaku can be very sweet, they get extremely angry at injustice and even plain meanness, finding them to be disgusting. They can get particularly incensed when witnessing prejudice, which has lead to them lashing out strongly and even getting into fights. They refuse to apologize for this, believing that it is their job to stand up to injustice in all its forms. Politically speaking, Kohaku is very far to the left and identifies as a Socialist "with sympathies towards their Communist comrades". Kohaku is also noted to be extremely self deprecating, often refuting any and all positive remarks people make about them. This stems from self esteem issues that have followed them since early childhood that eventually grew into self loathing, but they do their best to mask it behind humour and a personality that is otherwise extremely pleasing and pleasant, although Kohaku has admitted that they cultivated this personality to make people like them. This is not to say that they are insincere in their kindness, far from it, but they do sometimes feel that they have to work harder to be likeable in order to be liked, although this is more than likely all in their head. With those they are particularly close with, Kohaku can be rather sarcastic and sassy, but never with malicious intent, and it is always meant in jest and as harmless banter. However if someone expresses discomfort with the banter, Kohaku will apologize and not engage in it with the other party if they so wish. They are also rather flirty with their very close friends, giving them very affectionate pet names, such as "darling", "sweetheart", "honey", etc. Like with the sarcasm and sass, it's all meant in jest and Kohaku will stop the behaviour when asked. At their core Kohaku is incredibly passionate and is more often than not lead by their heart and morals, which often sees them getting involved in situations that don't necessarily involve them, but their impulsivity sees them acting in a way that they feel is right and at times being unable to hold back. History (TW: Death, age gap romance) Kohaku is the only child of former Pro Heroes Takashi Kuroyuri and his wife Mai. They were adored and doted on by their parents, and their godfather Toshinori Yagi, an old friend of Takashi. When Kohaku's Quirk became apparent, Takashi and Mai began to train them, from spending time with them in the dojo that the couple founded after retiring from the Pro Hero circuit, to enrolling Kohaku in gymnastic classes. Throughout this early training, Takashi and Mai remained devoted to and encouraging of Kohaku. Growing in such a warm and loving environment, Kohaku naturally returned the love and affection to their parents and Toshinori and strived to their best to make the adults proud. As Kohaku grew older, they became aware of Toshinori's secret double life as the Pro Hero All Might, and even the secret of One For All, and promised to keep Toshinori's secrets. While Kohaku was a bright and precocious child, they found it hard to socialize with others, often misreading social situations and missing social cues from others, which lead to misunderstandings and some tension. They were also relentlessly teased and bullied for being chubby and Ainu (both of their parents were Ainu). Once the bad luck component of their Quirk was discovered by their classmates, the ridicule became worse, and Kohaku was picked on for having a 'villainous' Quirk, and whenever something went wrong they were almost always blamed. This caused them to become incredibly withdrawn and at times hostile due to being frustrated and upset at being left out and not understanding why socializing was so hard to them, which only made tensions worse. Just a year before Kohaku entered middle school, their parents were caught in the crossfire of a battle between a small group of villains and other Pro Heroes, who were waiting for backup from Toshinori. Unwilling to leave their former comrades, Takashi and Mai entered the fray. Unfortunately, they lacked the equipment that they had used in their pro days, and despite help from the other Pro Heroes, they ultimately died, just before Toshinori arrived on the scene. Kohaku would not learn of their parents' fates until after school, and a tearful Toshinori arrived to take them home. After that, Toshinori became Kohaku's legal guardian and Kohaku began to fear that he would follow the same fate as their parents. They spent the rest of the school year grieving and withdrawn, and became known as the 'Kid Whose Parents Were Killed By Villains', and both Toshinori and Kohaku feared that middle school wouldn't be much better, as even the grief counselling made little headway. However, these fears were quickly dissipated as, upon starting middle school, Kohaku befriended Mirio Togata and Tamaki Amajiki. The three soon became best friends, something that Kohaku was particularly surprised by and incredibly thankful for as up to then they couldn't really say that they really had friends. The three trained together to perfect the use of their Quirks and had dreams of becoming Pro Heroes and working together to make the world a better and safer place. As Kohaku's friendship with the two boys deepend, they found that despite this, they still found themselves confused and frustrated by socializing more often than not. In the end they admitted this to Toshinori, who up until then was oblivious to Kohaku's struggles with socializing, and he took them back to counselling. In the end, after many months, Kohaku was diagnosed as autistic, and they were able to get the help they needed in order to better navigate the world as it was. Kohaku was both surprised and relieved by the diagnosis, as it made them feel less 'freakish' and alone. When they shared the diagnosis with Mirio and Tamaki, they were incredibly supportive and swore to help Kohaku however they could. The three would go on to take the entrance exam to get into U.A. High, and all three passed, ending up in Class 1-A, with Shota Aizawa as their homeroom teacher. The three met and befriended Nejire Hado, and the four became very close. While Kohaku was more than confident in their abilities as a close range fighter, they wished to expand their range, and began to learn how to use knives and a whip. As Shota's capture weapon was similar to the bullwhip Kohaku chose to use, he mentored them out of class and helped them learn how to use their whip. During these private sessions, Kohaku developed a crush on Shota, but kept these feelings to themselves. During their first year at U.A., Kohaku flourished, always encouraging their peers and being extremely kind, which made them well-liked. During the sports' festival, they came third and garnered the attention of a few agencies, and ended up interning with Gunhead due to his agency specializing in armed combat, an area that Kohaku felt that they lacked experience in. The internship proved to be extremely valuable to Kohaku, and grew to see Gunhead as another mentor figure alongside Toshinori and Shota, and after gaining their Provisional Hero License, returned to Gunhead's agency to intern under him again. In their second year, despite having a different homeroom teacher, Kohaku continued to receive outside training from Shota in controlling their whip. As they made progress, Kohaku found their crush growing into feelings of genuine love which mortified them due to the inappropriate nature of these feelings. They also began to fear that once their skill with their whip became good enough, they would no longer have a reason to spend time with Shota outside of school, and they were mortified by these feelings as well. In an attempt to stifle the feelings, Kohaku began to avoid Shota, and attempted to find someone else to teach them how to use a whip. For a short time they were mentored by Nemuri Kayama, but it was quickly revealed that Nemuri wasn't skilled enough to be a proper teacher for Kohaku in this area and urged to go back to learning from Shota. However they were still extremely reluctant to do so and decided to try and teach themselves instead. During this time, their friends caught on that something was wrong with Kohaku and attempted to help, but Kohaku refused to say what was bothering them. Toshinori also attempted to find out what was wrong, but Kohaku kept him in the dark as well. In the end, after nearly three months of avoiding him whenever possible, Kohaku was confronted by Shota, who expressed disappointment in Kohaku for 'not having the guts to tell him what was the matter' and demanded to know why they had abandoned the lessons out of nowhere. Panicked and backed into a corner, Kohaku admitted their feelings for Shota and that they distanced themself from him to try and make those feelings go away, but that ended up not working. Before Shota could respond, Kohaku left. At the sport's tournament that year, Kohaku failed to live up to the expectations that had been set for them due to their performance the previous year, as they came in fifth, and their slowly growing confidence shattered. They sought comfort from their friends and Toshinori, who all tried very hard to lift Kohaku's spirits, but Kohaku remained extremely self conscious and their performance in school suffered. Then, much to Kohaku's surprise, Shota came to them to offer support and resume their outside lessons. While Kohaku was still embarrassed by their earlier behaviour, they agreed and with Shota's help they were able to rebuild their confidence, which dramatically improved their performance in school to the point where they were far ahead where they were at the beginning of the year, and they started to be seen as an extremely strong and competent student, along with Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire. During the break before Kohaku's third and final year at U.A., Shota confessed to them that he was also in love with them, but had held back as the feelings were inappropriate. The two ended up stumbling into a tentative, and secretive affair, often sneaking off to be together. Both were reluctant to place a label on the relationship, but they were both happy with what it was and agreed to take it one step at a time and see where it took them. Also during the break, they helped Toshinori to train Izuku Midoriya to get into U.A. and be able to handle One For All. They taught Izuku martial arts and became very fond of the young boy and constantly encouraged him and lifted his spirits whenever he needed it. When they heard that Izuku had gotten into U.A. they celebrated with him and Inko Midoriya and expressed how proud they were of him. By the time school was back in session, the two were continuing their affair and were still deeply in love. When Kohaku was named as being one of The Big 4 along with their best friends they were extremely surprised but nonetheless proud. They also started to keep a close eye on Izuku, offering him advice and encouragement whenever they could. Following the U.S.J Incident, Kohaku again became afraid of losing loved ones like Toshinori and Shota at the hands of villains as they had with their parents, and began to work harder so that they may would be able to protect them in the future. After the Kamino Ward Incident, Kohaku agreed to move into the new dorms at U.A., which allowed them to be closer to Shota but also made sneaking out to see him far more tricky. One night, Toshinori walked in on Shota and Kohaku and after getting over the initial shock at what he had seen and anger at Shota (as he believed Shota had pressured Kohaku), he agreed to keep their secret albeit begrudgingly. After the Provisional Hero License Exam that year, Kohaku and the rest of The Big 4 were formally introduced to Class 1-A. Abilities 'Overall Abilities: '''While Kohaku isn't necessarily seen as being as strong physically as the other members of The Big 4, they are still regarded as an extremely skilled fighter and seen as having perfected the use of their Quirk due to years of hard work. Even without their Quirk being activated, Kohaku possesses incredible agility, comparable to that of an Olympic level gymnast, and a quick, tactical mind that allows them to easily adjust to any change in a fight, major or minor. Having grown up in a household that highly valued martial arts, Kohaku learned how to fight from a young age, and how to do so without relying too heavily on their Quirk to the point where they are more than formidable without it. They are also incredibly skilled with their knives and whip, making them capable of fighting from various different ranges. Their quick thinking also allows them to find solutions others may not necessarily see and allow for some rather creative fighting and solutions. '''Enhanced Agility: '''Even without their Quirk, Kohaku has near superhuman agility, being able to move and react quickly and with extreme ease, to the point where they are able to land on their feet without thinking too much about it, removing what would be a big source of anxiety or at least inconvenience to others. '''Enhanced Flexibility: '''Kohaku is very flexible, easily able to contort their body into various positions, allowing them to have an edge in some fights. '''Enhanced Senses: '''When their Quirk is activated, Kohaku's senses are heightened so that they match that of an apex feline predator, like a lion or tiger. Their sight dramatically improves, so that they don't need their glasses, and allows them to see in the dark, as well as perceive details that would go unnoticed to others. Their sense of smell also sharply improves, allowing them to identify different scents and focus on one in particular in they so choose. This has been used to track down people and animals in the past and is an incredible asset. Their hearing also improves to the point where it is nearly impossible to creep up on them as they would be able to hear the other person's footsteps. Quirk '''Black Cat: '''When activated, Kohaku's Quirk allows them to 'sprout' black cat ears and a tail, makes their nails and teeth expenitionally stronger, and give people bad luck upon making them bleed, either by scratching or biting them. The severity of the bad luck is dependent on how many people are also affected, for example if one person has been cut/bit their bad luck will be incredibly bad, however if another person is cut/bit the first person's bad luck will lessen. Super Moves Equipment '''Hero Costume: '''Kohaku's catsuit allows for ease of movement, helping Kohaku to move and fight freely. They have thigh holsters that contain three stiletto style daggers each. There is a small zip on the lower back of Kohaku's catsuit that when unzipped provides enough room for Kohaku's tail when they activate their Quirk. Some of the blades that are kept in the inserts in Kohaku's gloves are attached to fine piano wire, which can be used to either easily recall the blades or send Kohaku propelling towards the blades. Kohaku keeps many gadgets in their belt, which they often use in battle to trip up and confuse their foes. They most often use fine wires to trip up and/or injure foes and smoke bombs to create cover. Using these and other gadgets, Kohaku is able to make their opponents believe that their luck is worse than it actually is, as they rarely draw blood with their own nails or teeth, instead preferring to use the claws on their gloves or knives. They pretend that just drawing blood is enough to 'infect' someone with bad luck and uses their gadgets and support items to uphold the ruse. Relationships '''Toshinori Yagi: '''Toshinori is Kohaku's legal guardian, godfather, and one of the dearest people in their life. Following the death of their parents, Kohaku was placed in his care and the two found comfort in each other. Although there is no biological relation between the two, they are as close as an actual father and child and understand each other deeply. Following Toshinori's fall from number one hero, he revealed to Kohaku how he had always felt guilty for their parents' death, as he believed he could've saved them had he been there sooner. But Kohaku had never even thought to blame Toshinori and they told him so. Despite Toshinori's apprehension towards Kohaku's relationship with Shota, he has not interfered in any way as he trusts Kohaku knows what's good for them and can see that the pair are genuinely in love, although he has made it no secret to Shota that he would be more than willing to seek retribution should Shota hurt Kohaku. '''Mirio Togata: '''One of Kohaku's first and closest friends, Mirio is often a source of support for Kohaku and always tries to lift their spirits when they need it. The two fight extremely well together and are exceptionally well coordinated in battle. After Mirio lost his Quirk, Kohaku was by his side almost constantly to help him cope and recover and has even taught him martial arts and how to various weapons and support items. They view each other as siblings and are deeply protective of each other. '''Tamaki Amajiki: '''Another of Kohaku's closest friends, the two get on surprisingly well despite Tamaki's shyness and introvertedness, partly because Kohaku is just as introverted and also faces some challenges socializing. Kohaku tries their best to help Tamaki with his confidence and always encourages him. They care very deeply for each other and Kohaku tends to be a little more affectionate with Tamaki than with their other friends. '''Nejire Hado: '''The other member of The Big 4, Nejire and Kohaku are seen as the most enthusiastic members of the 4 and they are very close, largely due to the similarities in their personality. They constantly support each other and are very close and trust each other deeply. Whenever Kohaku is being self deprecating, Nejire more often than not steps up to make them feel better and compliment them. '''Shota Aizawa: '''Kohaku and Shota are in a secret relationship as they are still a student at U.A. but they are deeply in love and care for each other deeply. They also deeply respect each other and Shota has expressed his confidence in Kohaku's abilities on more than one occasion. Following the U.S.J. Incident Kohaku was deeply shaken by how injured Shota was and how close he came to dying like their parents. When Katsuki Bakugo went missing and Shota came under attack, Kohaku gave him comfort and support behind the scenes. They also genuinely admire each other and while Kohaku often speaks teasingly of how serious Shota is and how often he takes naps, they still respect him and none of the comments are beyond playful banter, and they aren't afraid to stand up for him. '''Izuku Midoriya: '''While Kohaku was at first skeptical at Toshinori choosing Izuku as his successor, they quickly became fond of the young boy and helped by teaching him martial arts. When he got into U.A., Kohaku looked out for him and often took the time to chat with him at lunch and whenever they passed each other in the hallways. They have been a constant source of support for Izuku and have expressed how impressed by and proud of him they are. However whenever Izuku acts rashly and injures himself Kohaku does express concern and gives him advice, but still allows him to learn for himself. As Izuku has grown, Kohaku has grown to view him as a younger brother, to the point where they insist that he not call them 'senpai'. 'Hitoshi Shinsou: 'During the U.A. Sports Festival, Kohaku was impressed by his Quirk and that it was disappointing that he was not let into the Hero Course. When Shota started to take Hitoshi under his wing, he sought out help from Kohaku as they had already mentored Izuku and a few other younger students by that point, and Kohaku gladly accepted. Much like with Izuku, they helped Hitoshi by teaching him martial arts and by helping him improve his strength and agility, and also like with Izuku they became very fond of him and a source of support, and also see him as a younger brother and insist that he not call them 'senpai'. 'Eri: '''After Eri was saved from Kai Chisaki, Kohaku became one of the many who cared for the young girl. Having also lost parents at a young age, Kohaku was able to empathize with Eri in that respect. They have been consistently gentle and patient with the young girl, reading with her and treating her almost like a daughter. Kohaku was deeply disturbed when they learned the extent of which Eri suffered and has vowed to protect the little girl. Although it has taken a while, Eri has grown to trust Kohaku and they are very close. Trivia * Kohaku's name contains the kanji for "amber". Amber is closely associated with Freya, who is the Norse goddess of beauty, magic, warfare, love, and sexuality, which ties into Kohaku's Quirk, fighting ability, and how they are generally seen as attractive. Freya is also closely associated with cats as her carriage is said to be drawn by cats, which also ties into Kohaku's Quirk. However, amber is also said to protect oneself from negativity, which can seem ironic considering the bad luck aspect of Kohaku's Quirk, but also fits in with their general personality. * Kuroyuri is also a reference to a flower that in Japanese flower language means "love, curse", which is a reference to the bad luck aspect of Kohaku's Quirk, as well as their own general bad luck and how they fell in love with a U.A. teacher. * According to the Western zodiac, Kohaku is a leo sun, cancer moon, and aries rising. * Kohaku enjoys reading, shopping, beauty, video games, cooking, and aerial silks. * Kohaku is partially inspired by the DC character Selina Kyle/Catwoman and the Marvel character Felicia Hardy/Black Cat. All three wear tight catsuits, like Selina Kyle Kohaku uses a whip, and like Felicia Hardy uses tools and manipulates their surroundings to their advantage and cause bad luck, and they share an alias with Felicia. The three are also romantically linked with heroes; Bruce Wayne/Batman for Selina Kyle, Peter Parker/Spiderman for Felicia, and of course Shota Aizawa/Eraserhead for Kohaku. * Kohaku watches the Met Gala every year. * Kohaku's Quirk was inspired by a post on the tumblr bnhaquirksuggestions. Note I'm aware that there will be people who will not like how I have made Toshinori such a big presence in Kohaku's life, making them part of The Big 3/4, and/or be uncomfortable with the romance I have written for them and Shota. I completely and 100% understand this, all I ask is for everyone to understand that this is fiction, and for me a form of escapism. Bending canon as I have re: Toshi and The Big 3/4 is a concept as old as fanfic itself, and the romance is one that I hope to handle with nuance and care. If anyone wishes to discuss any of this with me in a constructive and respectful manner, as in not being immediately defensive and tossing out names and accusations, I would be more than happy to do so! I understand some people may want to behave defensively and I don't blame you, people handle and process things differently and that's ok, just please be aware that if you do so I will be extremely hesitant to interact with you. I wish all of you best!-Cody